Just fun stuff and thoughts with blast...
at 0-0 ranged it can still shoot fliers for solid damage, which is always handy since Holy mages pay triple for Maim Wings. As a ranged attack spell, even with 0-0 range, it gives Holy melee fighter a high damage option to bypass guards. Also, of course, as an attack spell it can be mounted on an elemental wand, thoughtspore or Wizards Tower.
It also only takes 3 mana to push it to 6 dice with a hawkeye, then 7 damage with the Light ring. (8 if you opt to pay triple for a marked for death, and just want to be that guy.)
Its effect roll is as reliable as pillar of light but hits with more meaningful damage. So, it can be a chain-dazing beatdown tool- Melee weapon of choice mainhand, Blast wand off hand..then go rek stuff. With its high damage and effect chance together, other melee mages can do well running it too (other than dark ones). Forcemaster for example can pretty effectively combine it with double strikes from Galvatar for solid burst damage and reliable Daze/stuns.
It also-also has the nice perk that the only piece of equipment that grants "Light -X" is dark mage only (and that obscured is meaningless when the range is 0-0), so there are limited pieces to specifically single out this damage type unlike other elementals.
